What Would Jesus Say About DEI?

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Recently, I’ve been stuck on these three simple words which are, according to our president, enemies of the state.

The drumbeat against DEI took center stage again when this president announced it was responsible for the tragic air disaster over the nation’s capital. For him, this horrifying event was political manna from heaven—a bigly opportunity to cast his aspersions far and wide.

DEI policies, he believes, shut out “intellectually superior, naturally talented geniuses.”

I suppose such superiority and talent occurs naturally in inexperienced novices such as Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, and Robert Kennedy, Jr. But, who it doesn’t occur naturally to, in his view, is the majority of Americans (women, Blacks, Native American, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, LGBTQ, and people with disabilities) who, being subpar, are incapable of doing any important job.

Implying our citizens are largely doofuses, excluding his family and sycophants, brought me to a come to Jesus moment. I wondered, what would Jesus do?

What would Jesus say to Trump about DEI?

Despite his obvious lack of halo, many Christians believe Trump is the second coming. Go figure. So for this reason alone, I wondered how Trump’s views on DEI line up with Christian teachings.

Fortunately, the bible gives us a very good idea.

Beginning with the letter “D,” diversity was a cornerstone of Jesus’ teachings. Throughout his ministry, he taught his disciples that love was their highest calling, and he brought that calling to life by uplifting the marginalized, the outcasts, the sinners, and even those strangers from other lands. For Jesus, the call to love thy neighbor—or enemy—was not just a worldly ideal, it was a command.

When his disciples tried to keep children away, believing them to be insignificant, Jesus stopped them by saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” In this, he demonstrated that no one was beneath him, not too small, or unimportant to belong.

Moving on to the letter “E,” equity, of course, was at the heart of his message. He called out hypocrisy among the religious elite who burdened the poor with rules they themselves refused to follow. He overturned the tables of money changers in the temple because they had turned a place of worship into a system that preyed upon the vulnerable.

He also praised the widow who gave her last coins because her sacrifice revealed a broken system where the wealthy gave out of their abundance while the poor gave all they had. Such an unjust, broken system is reminiscent of what drives our economy today.

Last, we have the letter “I”. Inclusion was paramount to Jesus. It was not optional, it was truly the bedrock of his teachings. When he spoke of the Kingdom of God, he described a banquet where the last would be first and the first would be last, and reminded his followers that whatever they did for the least of their brothers and sisters, they did for him. Above all, inclusion was never a transaction or conditioned upon one’s status, nationality, or intellectual superiority.

Ultimately, Jesus didn’t merely acknowledge diversity—he commanded it. He didn’t just preach equity—he acted on it. He didn’t wait for the powerful to grant inclusion—he created it himself.

So, if Jesus were to address DEI today, he might ask why so many still struggle for a seat at the table, or why justice is unevenly distributed, and why fear often stands in the way of love. He would likely challenge individuals, institutions, and governments to examine their hearts and their policies. He would certainly remind us that faith without action is empty, that loving our neighbor means standing up for them, and that true inclusion isn’t just about words—it’s about transformation.

In conclusion, if this president honestly yearned to make America great again, if he truly were the new Messiah, he would expand rather than ban DEI, and his call to audiences would harken back to what Jesus asked of his disciples 2,000 years ago: to love one another—not hate, disparage, or exploit each other. That love isn’t passive—it moves, heals, and restores. It breaks down barriers. It lifts the lowly. And it makes room for everyone instead of only those who look good on TV and promise their loyalty to him.